I. in direct negation, certainly not, at any rate . . not, freq. with stress on the word which follows οὖν, οὔκουν Ἀτρεῖδαι τοῦτ᾽ ἔτλησαν εὐφόρως οὕτως ἐνεγκεῖν the Atridae (emphat.) certainly did not consent . . , S.Ph.872; “οὔκουν μ᾽ ἐν Ἄργει γ᾽ οἷα πράττεις λανθάνει” Ar.Eq.465; οὔκουν . . γε is the neg. of “γοῦν, οὔκουν ἔμοιγε χρώμενος διδασκάλῳ” A.Pr.324, cf. S.Ant.321, 993, Ph.907, 1389, E.IA9, IT516, Th.2.43, Pl.Sph.241c, Phdr.258c, X. Mem.4.2.10; οὔκουν ἀπολείψομαί γέ σου . . , εὶ τοῦτο λέγεις I will not desert (emphat.) you, if that is what you mean, Id.Cyr.4.1.23; οὔκουν γ᾽ ἂν οἶμαι . . εἰπεῖν τινα . . Pl.Phd.70b; ἐγὼ τοίνυν κινδυνεύω ἐκτὸς τῶν πάντων εἶναι: οὔκουν ἱκανῶς γε ἔχω . . συμβαλέσθαι at any rate I can- not guess . . , Id.R.398c, cf. Lg.807a, 810e.
2. where οὖν has a resumptive force, οὔκουν ἀπιστεῖν εἰκός accordingly, it is unreasonable to disbelieve . . , Th.1.10 (referring back to οὐκ ἄν τις ἀπιστοίη ibid.); so οὐκ ἂν οὖν νήσων ἐκράτει . . εἰ μὴ ναυτικὸν εἶχε ib.9; “οὔκουν χρή” Id.2.11; with inferential force, οὔκουν τοῦτο δεῖ δεικνύναι, ὅτι . . , ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι . . therefore one ought to prove not that . . , but that . . , Arist.Ph.213a31, cf. Ar.Ra.1065; οὔκουν οἶδα so I don't know, Pl.Cra.384b.
II. in impassioned questions, almost = οὐ alone, οὔκουν, Προμηθεῦ, τοῦτο γιγνώσκεις, ὅτι . . ; A.Pr.379, cf. Eu.725; “οὔκουν ἐγώ σοι ταῦτα προύλεγον πάλαι” ; S.OT973; “οὔκουν τάδ᾽, ὦ παῖ, δεινά” ; Id.Ph.628, cf. E.IT 1190, 1196, Ar.Eq.820, Lys.10.12,13, Is.5.34, 11.13, Aeschin.1.85, 2.87, al. (sts., but prob. wrongly, written οὐκοῦν or οὐκ οὖν): sts. separately, οὐ δεινὸν οὖν δῆτ᾽ . . ; Ar.Eq.875: freq. with 2sg. fut., to express an urgent or impatient imper., “οὔκουν ἐπείξῃ τῷδε δεσμὰ περιβαλεῖν” ; A.Pr.52; “οὔκουν μ᾽ ἐάσεις κἀκτὸς εἶ” ; S.OT676, cf. Ant.244, Ar.Ra.200, Pl.71, Pl.Smp.175a: also with τις and 3sg. fut., οὔκουν τις ὡς τάχιστα . . ἀναγκάσει . . ; S.OC897; or opt. with ἄν, οὔκουν ἂν εἴποις . . ; Id.Aj.1051: with neg. repeated, “οὔκουν ἐάσεις οὐδ᾽ ὑπ᾽ εὐφήμου βοῆς θῦσαί με” ; Id.El.630.
2. in replies, where the speaker seizes an opening offered by the previous speaker, οὔκουν ὅμαιμος χὠ καταντίον θανών; well, and is not he who died facing him your brother too? Id.Ant.512; οὔκουν γέλως ἥδιστος εἰς ἐχθροὺς γελᾶν; well, and is not the sweetest laughter to laugh over one's enemies? Id.Aj.79; ἴτ᾽ ἐγκονεῖτε, σπεύδεθ᾽, ὡς ὁ καιρὸς οὐχὶ μέλλειν. Answ. “οὔκουν ὁρᾷς ὁρμωμένους ἡμᾶς πάλαι προθύμως” ; Ar.Pl.257, cf. 916, 1031, Ra.27, 89, 1139, V.171.